Food Assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo - World Food Programme 2013

September 2013 -- Insecurity in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo escalated sharply in late 2012 and throughout 2013 due to a major increase in ethnic and resource-driven violence and banditry carried out by numerous armed groups particularly in North and South Kivu provinces. This surge in violence has resulted in large-scale displacement of people from their homes greater need to provide protection for people and the destruction of assets livelihoods and basic infrastructure. People in affected areas are already extremely vulnerable due to chronic poverty and underdevelopment poor governance and very limited access to basic services. Cholera measles and malaria continue to take a toll across the country but are particularly prevalent in areas of high displacement. In addition an estimated 6.35 million people across the country are acutely food insecure or without access to safe nutritious and sufficient food including 1.2 million children who are malnourished. With the support of DFATD and other donors the United Nations World Food Programme is providing life-saving food assistance to an estimated two million conflict-affected and displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Activities include: distributing food assistance; providing nutrition support such as supplementary and therapeutic feeding for children under the age of five and for pregnant and lactating women; and providing support to help people earn a living through initiatives such as food-for-assets and food-for-training whereby people receive food in exchange for working or participating in job training.

The expected outputs include: in-kind food assistance provided to 714 000 vulnerable people; the food needs of 121 900 people met in part through cash and food voucher distribution; nutrition support provided to 56 400 children under the age of five suffering from moderate acute malnutrition; nutrition support provided to 48 000 pregnant and lactating women suffering from moderate acute malnutrition; and livelihood opportunities and services increased for 273 500 people through food-for-assets and food-for-training initiatives. The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.